Friday, June 12 marked the conclusion of the Turkish Coalition of America’s 6-city tour for faculty from leading Turkish universities. In cooperation with the United Negro College Fund Special Programs (UNCFSP), American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC) and Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU), TCA hosted faculty from Bahcesehir, Hacettepe, Istanbul Technical University, Middle East Technical University and Ondokuz Mayis University at minority serving institutions to establish a new educational collaborative between the United States and Turkey.

This historic tour launching a new era of educational collaboration between the US and Turkey tour began with a reception on Capitol Hill on June 3. At the reception, attended by 8 members of Congress and over 20 congressional staffers, a memorandum of understanding was signed between the Bahcesehir University and the United Negro College Fund Special Programs (UNCFSP) to pave the way for future collaboration.

Prof. Meldan Tanrisal from Hacettepe University, whose area of specialization includes Native American Studies remarked, “I commend TCA for taking the lead in fostering ties between Turkish universities and minority serving institutions in the United States. I am especially inspired by the opportunity to increase student exchanges between the two nations".